On the steric and mass-induced contributions to the annual sea level variations in the Mediterranean Sea

The sea level variation (SLVtotal) is the sum of two major contributions: steric and mass-induced. The steric SLVsteric is that resulting from the thermal and salinity changes in a given water column. It only involves volume change, hence has no gravitational effect. The mass-induced SLVmass, on the other hand, arises from adding or subtracting water mass to or from the water column and has direct gravitational signature. We examine the closure of the seasonal SLV budget and estimate the relative importance of the two contributions in the Mediterranean Sea as a function of time. We use ocean altimetry data (from TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason 1, ERS, and ENVISAT missions) to estimate SLVtotal, temperature, and salinity data (from the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean ocean model) to estimate SLVsteric, and time variable gravity data (from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Project, April 2002 to July 2004) to estimate SLVmass. We find that the annual cycle of SLVtotal in the Mediterranean is mainly driven by SLVsteric but moderately offset by SLVmass. The agreement between the seasonal SLVmass estimations from SLVtotal – SLVsteric and from GRACE is quite remarkable; the annual cycle reaches the maximum value in mid-February, almost half a cycle later than SLVtotal or SLVsteric, which peak by mid-October and mid-September, respectively. Thus, when sea level is rising (falling), the Mediterranean Sea is actually losing (gaining) mass. Furthermore, as SLVmass is balanced by vertical (precipitation minus evaporation, P–E) and horizontal (exchange of water with the Atlantic, Black Sea, and river runoff) mass fluxes, we compared it with the P–E determined from meteorological data to estimate the annual cycle of the horizontal flux.

Environmental assessment using remotely sensed data : application of remote sensing data to environmental impact studies for transmission line routes /

Mode of access: Internet.

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Office.

Cover title.

Pilot climate data system.

Cover title.

Report of the Science Steering Group for a Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) /

"The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), a satellite program now being studied jointly by the United States and Japan, would carry out the systematic study of tropical rainfall required for major strides in weather and climate research ... This report presents the scientific justification for TRMM and outlines the implementation process for the scientific community."--Pref.

Telescopes and space exploration /

Mode of access: Internet.

Renewing solar science : the Solar Maximum Repair Mission /

"EP-206."

Repairing Solar Max : the Solar Maximum Repair Mission /

"EP-205."

The Nimbus II data catalog /

v.1. 15 May through 30 June 1966.--v.2. 1 July through 31 July 1966.--v.3. 1 August through 31 August 1966 (Orbits 1035-1447)--v.4. 1 September through 30 September 1966 (Orbits 1448-1846)--v.5. 1 October through 15 November 1966 (Orbits 1847-2458)

The Nimbus 4 data catalog /

Mode of access: Internet.

The Nimbus 6 data catalog /

v.1. 12 June through 31 August 1975, data orbits 1 through 1082.--v.2. 1 September 1975 through 31 October 1975, data orbits 1083 through 1900.--v.3. 1 November 1975 through 31 December 1975, data orbits 1901 through 2717.--v.4. 1 Jan 1976 through 29 February 1976, data orbits 2718 through 3521.--v.5. 1 March 1976 through 30 April 1976, data orbits 3522 through 4338.--v.6. 1 May 1976 throuth 30 June 1976, data orbits 4339 through 5155.--v.7. 1 July 1976 through 31 August 1976, data orbits 5156 through 5985.--v.8. 1 September 1976 through 31 October 1976, data orbits 5986 through 6802.--v.9. 1 November 1976 through 31 December 1976, data orbits 6803 through 7619.--v.10. 1 January 1977 through 28 February 1977, data orbits 7620 through 8409.--v.11. 1 March 1977 through 30 April 1977, data orbits 8410 through 9226.--v. 12. 1 May through 30 June 1977, data orbits 9227 through 10043.

TIROS III radiation data users' manual.

Bibliography: p. 10.